Every year, Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s founder and CEO, partners with his alma mater, The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to host Cupid’s Cup—Smith’s Entrepreneurial Business Competition.
Plank, ’96, welcomed six finalists and a panel of celebrity judges to UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 7, 2016. $75,000, in-kind services and guidance from top business leaders, and the prestigious Cupid’s Cup title.
In the end, Javazen, a University of Maryland-based start-up which blends coffee with teas and superfoods for “a healthier caffeine boost,” beat the other five teams in the 11th annual competition. The company also earned $5,000 more in prize money for winning the Audience Choice Award determined by text-voting audience members.
Dingman Center Managing Director Elana Fine discussed strategy for Javazen in a recent Washington Post Capital Business profile of the startup, stating:
“They’ve shown the ability to hustle — crisscrossing the country and selling themselves effectively at trade shows… They demonstrated to Kevin (Plank) and the judges that they well-understand the startup process, especially when it comes to knowing who will buy their product and how to stand out in a crowded marketplace and connect with those consumers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin saw some of himself in them.”
According to the Smith School, Cupid’s Cup is designed to encourage interest in student entrepreneurship, as it’s open to undergraduate and graduate-level students at accredited colleges and universities as well as recent graduates of these institutions. Plank started the competition a decade ago with the Dingman Center to foster interest in student entrepreneurship. The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate-level students at accredited U.S. colleges and universities, and recent graduates of these institutions.